


What Are Friends For? (or becoming Mrs. Queen)

by Diana_Munroe



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-14
Updated: 2015-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-26 07:57:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4996792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diana_Munroe/pseuds/Diana_Munroe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laurel saw the ring when she and Thea came to see Oliver. After a few weeks, she confronts him about it and especially about why it's not on Felicity's finger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Are Friends For? (or becoming Mrs. Queen)

**Author's Note:**

> Laurel make be a little OOC in this fic. She's a little more introspective and insightful, but I think it's not too far off. I hope you enjoy.

Mrs. Queen. 

It has a nice ring to it. 

Once upon a time this title meant everything to me. Love. Money. Success. Influence. The power to make a change and the means to see it through to the end. I would have worn that title proudly. 

I would have been an excellent Mrs. Queen. But I would have been a horrible wife to Oliver. When I look back, I can see what excited me about Ollie. He was dangerous, funny and when he let his guard down, he had the makings of a great man. I saw it in the way he looked out for Thea or even the way he’d play the crowd at a party. Ollie was a leader. But Ollie was also sad, somehow broken and scared. Terrified of the future. Terrified he wouldn’t live up to what his family wanted him to be. And scared to see if he really wanted that future in the first place. I see that now, but that then, all I could see was Ollie shining like star and me right next to him. The King and Queen of Starling City. 

If we had gotten married, it would have been a beautiful ceremony… or a disaster if Tommy had gotten him plastered the next before. Ollie would have probably cheated on me the night before we said “I do” and the nights after as well. I would have still taken him back. At that time, Moira had been talking to me a lot, training me to be the kind of woman that a Queen was expected to be. She told me, “Infidelity is hidden, but common part of the Queen legacy and if you aren’t strong enough to handle a little dalliance here and there, then you are not worthy to be next Mrs. Queen.” I tried not to show it, but at the time, that comment hit me hard. I was only the daughter of a cop after all if that’s what it took to be Mrs. Queen, I was ready to do it…I thought, with time, I could change Ollie. I thought I could change the world. What I didn’t realize was that Ollie had to change himself. 

When I think about the time before The Gambit went down, if all my plans had worked, I no longer see Happily Ever After. I don’t see Ollie suddenly maturing into CEO and successor that both Moira and I dreamed he would be. Ollie wasn’t ready for happily ever after and I loved the dream of Oliver more than I loved the boy I was trying to turn into a man. 

Mrs. Queen still has a nice ring to it, but it’s no longer a title I’m after. It belongs to someone else. And ironically, something is pushing me to help her get it. In near pitch darkness, I saw Ollie sharpening his arrows. The sparks from the metal further lighting his handsome face. 

“Hey,” I said, announcing my presence. 

Ollie looked up, “Laurel? Hey. Felicity’s not here.” 

That made me laugh a little. Not so long ago, I dismissed the blonde genius. She was cute, but not in Ollie’s usual league. Now I can’t imagine him with anyone else and she’s become one of my best friends. 

“I wasn’t looking for her. I was looking for you.” 

“Oh,” he said and placed his arrows to the side, giving me his full attention. This was new too. This attentive, caring Oliver. I feel like it’s always been there, but only with Felicity has he felt safe enough to bring that side out of him. It also let me know that I’m doing the right thing. 

“I saw it,” I said without preamble. 

“Saw what?” he asked. 

“The soufflé,” I replied. 

“Oh,” he said in a slightly deeper register, searching my eyes for… something. 

“I didn’t tell Felicity,” I responded, “And I don’t think Thea saw it.”

“But you did?” 

“Something about your expression. You looked devastated. That last time I saw you that heartbroken was when Thea fell off her horse. You looked like the world had just shattered in front of you,” I stated and walked closer to him, “At first, I thought it was just that seeing us brought back things you would forget, but the whole scene, the candles, the table setting and for one second, I saw the firelight reflect off the ring. Moira’s ring,” I finished. 

“What’s your point?” he said in a flat tone. 

“Ollie.” 

“You have a point. Get to it,” he demanded. 

I nearly stormed out when he took that tone, but Felicity deserved better and I learned that is just how he acts when he’s cornered. So I took a page out of Felicity’s book and fought back with the truth. 

“Fine. Stop being a coward. If you keep running scared, you are going to let the darkness of this city destroy what you and Felicity have.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said and stepped away from the table. 

“I know that you are happier than I’ve ever since you. I know that every time you look at Felicity, it’s like the sun's come out. And I know that happiness and love like that is strong… and fragile,” I said. 

“I know it is. That’s why I can’t…” 

“That’s why you have to,” I interrupted and stepped closer to him. 

“Love isn’t fragile because the outside world weakens it. It’s fragile when we have doubts,” I said, pointing to him and me. 

“It’s fragile when we are scared, or when we think we are missing something or when we think we are not enough.”

My finger kept on flicking between him and I, bringing us closer. 

“Love breaks because we break it.” 

I reached out and touched his hand. He let me. 

“I’m telling you. Don’t break what you have with Felicity because you’re scared or worried about the future. Future will take care of itself. Today you have friends, you have family and you have the love a woman who brings out the best in you.”

Oliver looked at our hands. A familiar sight, yet so foreign. 

“Once, I thought that was you,” he said in a soft voice. 

“I know. But it never would worked out.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. 

“I mean I hated the color green before, but now your suit is bright green and I can’t stand it,” I stated. 

Oliver laughed. Loud and openly. 

“And that’s why you need to marry Felicity. You never laughed that before. We need you here. The city needs you. But you need Felicity. Don’t let the darkness take her away,” I said and stood up, heading for the door. 

“Laurel,” Ollie called out. I turned around.

“Thank you,” he said. 

I smiled, “What are friends for?”

I left, walking into the sunshine. As I adjusted my rear mirror, I saw Oliver not to far behind me. He paused for a moment, looked up at the sun and smiled. His hand went into his pocket and he fiddled with something. Then he nodded to himself and raced to his Ducati. I put my sunglasses on and smiled. Mission Accomplished.

**Author's Note:**

> I really think that Laurel is down for the Olicity cause. I'm not usually her biggest fan, but she supported Felicity last season in a way that only a woman who has loved and lost Oliver could really understand. She may have her pissy moments, but I truly think Laurel has the potential of being a great friend to both of them.


End file.
